‘Money where his mouth is’: Jake Paul donates $5,000 to UFC fighter’s GoFundMe after she said she couldn’t afford to train

Jake Paul has become an unlikely advocate for the issue of fighter pay in the UFC – and has fired another shot across Dana White's bow by donating to Sarah Alpar's crowdfunding page after she revealed she couldn't afford to train.

Paul, the YouTuber who has somehow metamorphosed into one of pay-per-view boxing's top draws, has been a frequent and vocal critic over what he sees as improper payment structures within the UFC. 

He has frequently called out White on social media, telling him to "pay your fighters" and railing against the UFC boss for his reluctance to cut the type of check which Jon Jones says he requires to challenge Francis Ngannou in the Octagon in what is likely the biggest box office fight currently available in the UFC.

Paul has also made light of the fact that his one-round boxing match with former UFC fighter Ben Askren earlier this year represented a career-high payday for him, and promised the same treatment for Tyron Woodley ahead of their August bout in which the former multiple UFC welterweight champion's purse is expected to far outstrip anything he received in his eight-year UFC career. 

And don't let it be said that Jake Paul isn't putting his money where his mouth is, either.

On Wednesday, Paul fired another salvo towards Dana White by publicly contributing to UFC fighter Sarah Alpar's crowdfunding page after the bantamweight fighter revealed that she could no longer afford to pay for her training expenses.

"(Shaking my head)… Imagine a rookie in the NBA had to start a GoFundMe to play," Paul wrote on Twitter. 

"I let Sarah Alpar know she has my support and contribution. It’s my honor and privilege to help fellow fighters in anyway I can."

Paul's donation of $5,000 was confirmed on Alpar's GoFundMe page, where he also wrote: "Keep training hard, Sarah – sending you positive energy for your camp."

As per a written note on her page, Alpar had sought fans' help in funding her move to full-time training and will be spending the money on gym fees, nutrition, recovery, doctor fees and the numerous other expenses which professional mixed martial arts fighting entails. 

At the time of writing, Alpar's GoFundMe page had drawn just under $9,000 in donations out of a goal of $30,000.

"That is pretty awesome of you," said one fan to Paul. "You have my respect for speaking out about fighter pay. Great job, young man. I am no longer a hater, but a fan. Thank you."

Another said: "Jake, you have a heart of gold. And so many people have taken advantage of that."